Sony Cassette Walkman WM-FX221

I spent $30.00 for a "reconditioned" Sony Walkman. The cassette tape aspect of the machine died exactly three days after the return date was up. I now have a very expensive radio.

The sound of this walkman is OK, but I think that sony could make a better product. The quality of the bottons are poor and I suppose that they will ruin in a couple of months.

I had been looking for a reasonably priced quality Walkman style unit since the cheap units just do not hold up well. I owned several from AIWA, Craig, and some other companies. Generally the tuner is better than the tape drive. In these older Walkman units the tape drive is strong and so is the case here. Radio tuner is also good and Local/DX switch is a nice touch. When paired with SONY noise cancelation headphones this thing sounds great. Unit delivered quickly and protected well. Some slight scratches on silver panel, but that was it and nothing to get hung about. At the price...what a find!

Update. I think it is the belts? but the last two both had serious soeed issues out of the box. They were fine thru 2014 but i think they are just shot now due to age. But three still work well. Ive lost five to this. So not a good purchase NOW. It was, though , one of the cleanest sounding walkmans i had. There are better. But its better sounding then say, Sports walkman non auto reverse heads...purchased four of these in 2011 and when someone was selling them for forty bucks... I tried to get ten, but was only sent four - I suppose the seller wised up, as prices have held steady at over 140 for any new Walkman, usually 199.00. I don't know who is paying THAT MUCH for a tape Walkman, I wouldn't - BUT that said, these are from the late mid nineties, and save for battery life, they are far superior to the later single battery units ( these take two). This is hi fi. Almost entry level high end, even has a chrome switch. I still have all the units, one- very heavily used and dropped badly , TWICE is making a motor noise but functions perfectly! Chrome / metal switch... An absolute MUST if you have home equipment and utilize these better tapes, without a chrome bias switch these tapes sound way too treble heavy. So again, if you must pay these prices, this is the one to get- new. Used ones? Well, they ARE very robust. but mines 3 to four years old , moderate use - a used one has likely been kicking around for 15 years or so, so maybe buy newer if used. The other review is wrongly informed. These are the old style soft touch buttons for the radio, and the old green headphone jack cassette mech, which may FEEL a bit floppier in engagement then one of the newer ones, but it is one of THE most robust cassette mechs PERIOD. This is a far better finished model, too, on a par with Sonys late golden era stuff of the nineties before the great decline...If I could get these new at under 80 I'd buy several. If I had NO Walkman, and therefore cant find any for any less without buying crap ( like the ion USB or Jensen models seen here)I would probably pay this price. That doesn't make it a good price, though.

Did not work.

it was a peice of s***

Had an old sticker mark on it and was kinda grimy. It works though!